Scottish Film Events: February 2024
It's rubbish outside, so head to your local cinema in February for Buster Keaton, romantic movies, films from Japan, and a load of cool animation
We’re entering the third month of a miserable winter, so the annual Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme has come along just in time to lift us from the doldrums (The Cameo, Edinburgh (21 Feb-27 Mar); Dundee Contemporary Arts (17 Feb-16 Mar)). Highlights look to be Shadow of Fire, the latest from cult director Shinya Tsukamoto (DCA, 28 Feb); Hoarder on the Border, a heart-warming comedy that will give Marie Kondo hives (Cameo, 28 Feb); and Egoist, a gay romantic drama with a bittersweet vibe (DCA, 21 Feb).
Sticking with Japan, the latest film from Wim Wenders – his best in years – sees the German cinema poet head east to make Perfect Days, a deeply humane slice-of-life drama starring Kōji Yakusho as a solitary Tokyo janitor that’s guaranteed to wash away the February blues. The CineSkinny Film Club are screening the film for free at Summerhall, Edinburgh on 23 February and at the CCA in Glasgow on 28 February. Tickets at theskinny.co.uk/tickets
Talking of lifting spirits, there’s no better filmmaker to do that than deadpan comedic genius Buster Keaton. Cameo screen a couple of his classics: Sherlock Jr (4 Feb) and The General (11 Feb). It’s also Valentine’s Day this month. Yes, it’s a silly commercial cash-in, but it's also a great excuse to watch wonderful movies. GFT have Steve McQueen’s sensual party movie Lovers Rock and screwball masterpiece Bringing Up Baby (both 14 Feb) while the Cameo go for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (14 Feb) and a more subversive pick – David Fincher’s anti-romance Gone Girl (13 Feb).
Junk Head
There's romance of the most devastating variety in All of Us Strangers, Andrew Haigh’s heartbreaking study of queer grief and love. As its release coincides with LGBT+ History Month, GFT have put together a special screening on 5 February, which will be followed by a panel discussion exploring themes from the film.
Also on your radar should be the brilliant multi-arts festival Manipulate (1-11 Feb). The festival brings together a wonderfully curated programme of puppetry and visual theatre, as well as a section dedicated to animation. In that strand you’ll find three great-looking shorts programmes (which are also available online), as well as features like Takehide Hori’s stop-motion sci-fi Junk Head (Summerhall, 10 Feb) and the surreal French animation epic Fantastic Planet, from 1973 (Institut Français, 8 Feb). There’s also a chance to meet fellow animators and animation fans at Manipulate's Animation Gathering (Summerhall, 3 Feb).